Press Release

The All-Party Parliamentary Group which is chaired by Michael Tomlinson MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole launched an inquiry in October 2016 into the use of youth employment data. The inquiry sought to understand how youth unemployment data is used, how effective it is and if/how it can be made more meaningful.

Michael Tomlinson MP said “I am very pleased with the work that the APPG has undertaken this quarter, holding a number of well-attended meetings on a variety of issues relating to the opportunities and challenges around the documenting of youth employment and how it helps us get more young people into work.

I personally believe that gainful employment and the skills that come with that has a powerful role in improving social mobility for the most disadvantaged people in our most deprived communities, something that has become clear in evidence we have heard from groups like City Year UK and Centrepoint.”

The inquiry received a number of submissions from organisations such as Movement to Work, Centrepoint Rathbone and Young Womens Trust.

The report which is available in full on the APPG for Youth Employment website and through Youth Employment UK identified that:

Where there is good data about young people targeted support can be put in place. Organisations that support young people use the national statistical data to design and target services for young people. However the data that is available does not provide a useful enough breakdown at a local level or for groups of young people.

The report puts forward the following recommendations:

Production and publication of the youth employment data at a more granular level, parliamentary constituency or local authority area

More detailed breakdown of the youth employment categories to separate out young people in